


Absolute Beginners

by feverbeats



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-10
Updated: 2010-06-10
Packaged: 2017-10-10 01:17:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/93633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feverbeats/pseuds/feverbeats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Albus should not be surprised by the kiss, but he is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Absolute Beginners

Elphias Doge, while not a genius, is still Albus Dumbledore’s favorite person. He’s cute, funny, loyal . . . All the things a fourteen-year-old girl would look for in a boy. While Albus is hardly a fourteen-year-old girl, romance has never been his strong suit. He’s more brilliant than most of the teachers at Hogwarts, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t _emotionally retarded_. As it is, he never notices girls, nor boys. Being completely oblivious does make life easier, though, at least occasionally.

Albus stretches out, putting his feet on the window ledge.

Elphias grins at him. "You look comfortable." Albus has the ability to look comfortable no matter where he is. He knows this. He wishes, though, that he could _talk_ to people comfortably. He has charm and wit, and he can even fake ease, but all he really wants to do is hide in his room with his books and letters. If he really had a choice, he wouldn’t even write to people. He does need them, though, he supposes. If all this knowledge, these _ideas_ were locked up in his head, he’d go mad.

Maybe that’s what Elphias is for, although he just absorbs all of Albus’ ideas without giving anything back. At least, without giving any _ideas_ back. He does _love_ Albus. Albus is still sort of surprised, in a vague way, that he has a best friend. Elphias does more than follow Albus around like a puppy, whatever anyone else may say. He’ll make Albus go to sleep when he’s up too late working on a new spell. He’ll touch Albus’ arm in passing just to give Albus some of that human contact he never bothers to seek out on his own.

Elphias is currently flopped on the couch, watching Albus think. He sees Albus’ eyes refocus on him and he blushes. Albus frowns thoughtfully. "Why do you do that, Elphias? Why do you always watch me?"

To Albus’ mild surprise, Elphias reddens. "I don’t know."

Albus fixes him with the piercing stare which seems to engender both trust and discomfort in so many people. "I’m just curious."

Elphias looks away. "Because it makes me happy, I guess," he says to the wall.

Albus nods, satisfied with this answer, not expecting anything else.

*

Albus is in the astronomy tower again. It would be so, so easy to jump off. Instead, he _thinks_. If only there were a way to shut his brain off, just for a few hours. Sleep isn’t cutting it. His head never stops whirling with ideas, and it’s driving him mad. He hasn’t told Elphias and he hasn’t told any of his multiple contacts, because it’s a _stupid_ problem. Being a genius is supposed to be _awesome_. He has no right to worry so much.

He hears a footfall behind him and turns, expecting a giddy couple who’ve come here for some privacy. Instead, he sees Elphias, looking tired and young in his green bathrobe. "Hey, Albus," he says. "I saw you leaving the dorm again, so I followed you. Are you ok?"

"Oh," Albus says lightly, "Just doing some thinking."

Elphias isn’t his best friend for no reason, though, and he can clearly see the rest in Albus’ face. "You think too much," he says, half-smiling. And before Albus can respond, Elphias is crossing the distance between them, moonlight bright on his skin, and taking Albus’ hand. Albus smiles and leans toward Elphias, toward the familiar thin arms that have wrapped around him so many times, but instead of hugging him, Elphias pulls back, his face new and sharp.

Albus should not be surprised by the kiss, but he is. Elphias’ lips are soft and Albus would never have _thought_ of doing this before. When Elphias pulls back, looking slightly worried, Albus says in surprise, "Oh!"

Elphias bites him lip. "Sorry, that was stupid, I should have known you’d never–"

"But I do," Albus says, smiling despite himself. "It just never _occurred_ to me before."

*

In the following weeks, they make out kind of a lot. Albus’ favorite spot to do it is on the rug in front of the fire in the Common Room. They wait until everyone else has gone to bed, and then Albus slips easily to the floor. Elphias blushes and sits next to him. "This is sort of incredible," he says.

It’s sometimes hard for Albus to realize that other people don’t always take things in stride. "Yes," he says, "I suppose it is."

"Can I, um," Elphias says before leaning forward to kiss Albus.

Albus shuts his eyes and tries to make sense of the insanity of all these sensations. He isn’t used to being out of control, but he could get used to it. Almost involuntarily, he kisses Elphias harder, opening his own mouth as he does so.

Elphias stiffens slightly in Albus’ arms and moans. "I, oh, Albus."

When Albus breaks the kiss, they’re both blushing. "Hm," Albus says. Then he climbs unceremoniously into Elphias’ lap, wrapping his legs around him, winding his arms around Elphias’ body.

Elphias blinks in surprise. "Wow. _Wow_."

Albus smiles and kisses him again, letting his hands drift to Elphias skinny hips which rise slightly above the top of his pants. Elphias almost overbalances, and Albus turns the movement into a slow rocking motion, until he’s almost grinding himself into Elphias’ lap. Some things, he thinks, must be instinctive. Elphias shudders and kisses him harder.

"Albus," he gasps after a minute, "I think we should stop. Before, I, uh, can’t stop."

Albus pulls away, dizzy, sparks flitting between his stomach and his mouth. "I. Yes. A fine point. Perhaps this isn’t the best place . . ."

Elphias nods and relaxes under Albus, who wraps his thin arms tighter around Elphias, holding him like he has something to lose, for once. He feels Elphias’ smile against his shoulder. "I can’t _believe_ you didn’t catch on that I fancied you," Elphias mutters.

Albus shrugs helplessly. "I never noticed the difference."

Elphias pulls back and cocks his head to one side. "That’s it, isn’t it? You never _do_ notice the difference. You may be a genius Wizard, but you’re socially _fucked_."

Grinning, Albus says, "I suppose I am." And this, _this_ is why he is friends with Elphias. That and the incredible make-outs. He rests on head on Elphias’ shoulder and smiles. "Thank you."


End file.
